The Flower District

Signs of change in Chelsea's flower district are as abundant as the plants blooming on 28th Street. An apartment building will soon rise from the vacant lot at the corner of Sixth Avenue, the eastern boundary of the district that once stretched from 26th through 28th streets, between Sixth and Seventh avenues. Moving closer to Seventh, a blue construction barrier demarcates another building site; across the street a Holiday Garden Inn and a residential building flank three, squat silk flower shops.

But for a century-old single-trade district that has supposedly been withering away for nearly two decades, the area appeared remarkably vibrant this Wednesday.

Wholesalers were busy filling their final orders of the day at lunchtime—traditionally the closing bell rings in the early afternoon there since distributors open at dawn to cater to the city’s retail florists. None of the three remaining distributors on Sixth Avenue had time to chat. Stems and branches were strewn across the floors, and workers hurriedly loaded bundles into waiting trucks.  read more »